Day trippers: Michelle O goes to Monticello

Michelle Obama takes the girls on an unofficial visit to Monticello.PHOTO BY HOOK STAFF

First Lady Michelle Obama, First Daughters Malia and Sasha and First Mother-in-law Marian Robinson dropped in July 23 on Charlottesville's First Tourist Attraction, Monticello, and NBC29 snagged the story– with video.

The Obama women took in Luray Caverns in the Shenandoah Valley before swinging over to Monticello around 3pm and cutting in line for a private tour, much to the delight of visitors from Texas and Nebraska, according to NBC29. Others who had to wait were understanding once they realized who the glamorous visitors were, the television station reported.

The family headed to the Corner and dined on "some fantastic Virginian crab cakes, southern fried chicken, a couple of steaks, things like that," says owner Andy McClure. NBC29 captured an exclusive shot of the empty booth where the Obamas sat.

No word on what flavors the Obamas ordered at Arch's before heading off in armored SUVs back to the White House. No, wait, co-owner Sander Archer's Twitter feed tells all: "Michelle Obama got a 3.5 oz. vanilla with hot fudge and peanuts. Her girls got vanilla with oreos and whipped cream!!"

28 comments

Sick Of The Local Rambos July 24th, 2009 | 11:11pm

Armchair Quarterback, face facts! A black man challenged Crowley, and the final result was Crowley going off the deep end. All Crowley had to do was get back in his dayum car and leave. But no, he had to walk back to the front porch and attempt to prove who was going to win this shouting match.

Crowley is eating up the publicity now, he invited himself to the White House. He's going to milk talk show interviews for every penny they are worth now too. And whatever else he can make a buck on.

armchair quarterback July 24th, 2009 | 10:04pm

I hope her police escort didn't act to stupidly when they were protecting her, her daughters, and her mother. Because we all know police are racist and practice racial profiling as routine police work. I hope the sarcasm is coming through because I'm laying it on pretty thick.

day tripper July 24th, 2009 | 3:40pm

I like day trippin ~ ~
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¥
£££££

Belmontonian July 24th, 2009 | 12:29pm

Funny, the picture you're using to illustrate the story looks like the First Lady, rather than the empty booth noted in Lisa's article. Nice cell phone quality screen grab by the way. Snarky snarky. :-0

travel lite July 26th, 2009 | 12:31pm

If I was President everyone would really hate me becouse I would move the first office to the first beach and have my first drinks delivered by the first hooters girls and it would be awsome and oil would be free!

I'm Just Saying July 25th, 2009 | 11:43pm

It wasn't a RACE thing. It was a SOCIO- ECONOMIC CLASS thing.

Harvard elite v. bluecollar Boston.

That policeman would have arrested ANY Harvard prof who mouthed off the way Gates did.

obbammysmammy July 27th, 2009 | 8:33pm

1) The cop was correct in asking for ID.
2) Gates was incorrect to fly off the handle and refuse to give it to him.
3) When he did give him ID (with no address) Crowly called the harvard police which is the right thing to do. (many burglaries are done by family members.ex husbands etc)
4) He told Gated he would talk with him outside because he could not hear his radio in the foyer (with gates hollering like George jefferson)
5) If Gates had simply shut the door behind him it and dealt with his assertions through proper channels then the problem could have been resolved one way or another.
6) Gates made the CHOICE to go out on the front porch and act like a a-hole and he INTERFERED with a police officer who was trying to protect the COMMUNITY (remember the 7 other recent break ins)

SOLR, Just because you have a chip on your shoulder does not make you right.

Sick Of The Local Rambos July 27th, 2009 | 10:36pm

I think you missed my entire point. Guess I have to spell it out for you. It is about race. Ain't no black man in America going to stand around and mouth off at a white cop, even if they are on their own property. If they do, we will see yet another Gates arrest. All the cop had to do was keep walking to his car and ignore Gates.

Wasn't all that long ago Rodney King mouthed off at a few white cops and got beat senseless. They beat him like a rabid dog.

Hoolarious July 28th, 2009 | 10:58am

I would just add, re: Squeaky Fromme's post, that every time I've done the Monticello tour (upwards of 6 times, I thnk), they do a really good job of pointing out the contributions of slaves. They don't hide it or whitewash it in the least.

Hello Spell Check July 28th, 2009 | 10:06am

"obama should of paid to fly his family to europe? are you kidding me? why dont you simply say you dont like black people.

where you complaining when george bush flew his family to kennebunkport?
where you complaining when bush flew his family to the olympics?
where you complaining when bush flew his family to his ranch?
and stayed there for 30 days under sec serv protection at a great cost to the gov?

of course you were not.

i cant wait for your posts that obama is not a citizen, a closet muslim terrorist and a communist."

1. It's "should HAVE" or "should've" but not "should OF." Should have = the contraction should've. There's no such phrase as "should of." Or "would of." Or "could of." Etc.

2. "Where you complaining" - I think you meant "Were you complaining." Where refers to location. Were is a conjugated form of the verb "to be." I was, you were, he/she/it was, etc. Etc. Etc.

That aside, the only other thing I really want to contribute is a comment directed towards Squeaky Fromme, which is that of course the Obamas would have been aware that Monticello was built and run by slaves.....and it just goes to show how far things have come. What, are they not supposed to ever visit anything that may have been built by or linked to slaves? That doesn't make any sense.

belocki July 28th, 2009 | 7:11am

obama should of paid to fly his family to europe? are you kidding me? why dont you simply say you dont like black people.

where you complaining when george bush flew his family to kennebunkport?
where you complaining when bush flew his family to the olympics?
where you complaining when bush flew his family to his ranch?
and stayed there for 30 days under sec serv protection at a great cost to the gov?

of course you were not.

i cant wait for your posts that obama is not a citizen, a closet muslim terrorist and a communist.

Sue July 26th, 2009 | 9:51am

The President is not allowed to use private jets for security reasons.

O' Bama July 25th, 2009 | 9:28am

I think I seen the Obama's at Wal-Mart the other day.

Sick Of The Local Rambos July 27th, 2009 | 7:53pm

CORRECTION: Above should read ....

"those coppies with --THIN-- skin find themselves in the headlines, just like Crowley suddenly finds himself."

Sick Of The Local Rambos July 27th, 2009 | 7:50pm

Let's get past all of that, obbammysmammy. Once Gates had been identified, whether this was an easy process for the cop or not, the cop should have left. Period. End of story. Pack his dainty little feelings in the back of his mind and direct his backup to get in their cars and leave too. It was that simple.

But no, at worst, Gates while on his own front porch continued to commit "contemp of cop" by yelling at Crowley, and that's why disorderly conduct charges were placed against him. It reminds me very much of the local couple who shouted out for a cop to "slow the F**k down!" after the cop almost ran them over in a crosswalk not long ago near the downtown mall. This couple had committed "contempt of cop" as well, and got arrested for it. The high road would have been for the local cop to get out of his police Jeep and ask them if they were OK... and apologize to them for almost running over them.

About 20 to 25 years ago a local sheriff sued the estate of a man who shot and almost killed him. The lawsuit was thrown out of court when the judge explained that "danger" is a part of the job and the sheriff had no valid claim. The same is true of "contempt of cop". It's part of the job, whether they like it or not. Not everybody is going to say "yes sir", "no sir", "can I shine your shoes for you, sir?", "would you like a fresh donut, sir?" to a cop. Those coppies with this skin find themselves in the headlines, just like Crowley suddenly finds himself.

(Any by the way, the latest news that their was no mention of race in the Gates 911 call has no bearing on the final result as well. Racism, if it existed, could have become a factor after Crowley laid eyes upon Gates, and after Gates committed "contempt of cop".)

Sick Of The Local Rambos July 28th, 2009 | 12:30pm

Wangitus, thank you, there lies half the problem. People are losing respect for cops more and more every day. And the cops are losing this respect because they think they are above the law, and they subscribe to the theory of "don't do as I do, do as I say!"

Bad move above on your behalf. You want to mention Rodney King's pursuit, in which nobody else was hit or injured.... try these on for size: The Alexandria, Virginia police chief just crashed into and injured a girl over the weekend in a city owned vehicle, and was arrested for drunk driving, (.19) over twice the legal limit by Virginia law. A member of the 8 man Virginia Beach DUI Enforcement team, the same Virginia Beach police officer who charged retired NFL star Bruce Smith, was just arrested for drunk driving and crashing into another car as well. His blood alcohol content was .15, twice the legal limit in Virginia too. I can give you 100 examples of this exact same activity by off duty cops, many taking take in city and county owned cars no less. Why exactly am I suppose to respect these people? Most of them can drive worth a darn when sober. They should leave the alcohol alone when off duty. Or maybe they should have been dragged out of their cars and beat with nightsticks like a rabid dog.

wangitus(the wondermonkey) July 28th, 2009 | 11:59am

Sick dog local rambo..
All that gates needed to do was show a little respect for the person that he pays with his tax dollars to protect his home.

That is the problem with folks like you..

If he used the n word it would be racism..

If the person is black and the cop is white it is instituional racism.

The fact is that if Gates wre white and acted like the crazed crybaby he would have been detained just the same. I have heard the 911 calls and radio transmissions and the cop did his job correctly.

I would hope that if the same scenario happened again one block over he would do everything the same.

And rodney king did a little more than mouth off to some cops.. I seem to recall a 45 minute police chase where he endangerd hundreds of lives....

People like you say the cop should have walked away.. seems to me that if a Harvard professor cannot even keep his cool then you cannot blame people for having low expectations of blacks who in their own lives.

YOU AND HIM ARE THE ONES WHO ARE PERPETUATING THE PROBLEM.

Sick Of The Local Rambos July 28th, 2009 | 12:37pm

CORRECTION: The abocve was suppose to read...

"I can give you 100 examples of this exact same activity by off duty cops, many taking --PLACE-- in city and county owned cars no less. Why exactly am I suppose to respect these people? Most of them --CAN'T-- drive worth a darn when sober."

wangitus(the wondermonkey) July 28th, 2009 | 3:37pm

billy bob..

It was MICHELLE Obama that visited.. the Prez was off peddling snake oil to the people dumb enough to listen..

Last time I saw their picture Michelles parents were black..

Thus poor Barack would have has to settle for a blond haired blue eyed white woman... (just like his daddy did)

Mike Wiszowski July 27th, 2009 | 8:33am

Skueaky Fromme, I'm sure the Obama's were well aware of that fact and found comfort as well as humor in the reality that is their life as it is. Don't we all though Squeek, Don't we all?!

obbammysmammy July 27th, 2009 | 5:32pm

I wonder if they mentioned to the Obamas that if it were not for slavery they would be living in africa amongst the rest of the folks who can't stop killing each other.

Since when did the virginian restauant start serving fried chicken?

SOLR... I wonder how it would have turned out had it been a white guy that answered the door... refused to give ID and was believed because he was white.. and it turned out that he was in fact a burglar who proceeded to rob the house once the cop was gone... I suppose that would make the cop a racist for not protecting the black mans possessions.....

Billy Bob July 28th, 2009 | 1:19pm

re: "I wonder if they mentioned to the Obamas that if it were not for slavery they would be living in africa amongst the rest of the folks who can’t stop killing each other."

Barack Obama is not descended from African slaves brought to this country centuries ago by the evil (yes) slave trade, unless his "white" mother has an African slave ancestor. Barack Obama's father was born in Africa and emigrated to the US.

Your statement is utterly false. Slavery had NOTHING to do with the fact that Barack Obama was born (yes!) in the US and is an American citizen.

Just thought I'd correct your falsity.

County Farmer July 26th, 2009 | 8:17am

Has anyone asked or care how much taxpayer's money is being spent for these sightseeing trips that the Obama family is constantly seen on including Europe, Africa and now Charlottesville. Obama thinks nothing of using 1000's gallons of gas for airforce one(2)to fly his family to meet him in Europe(even though he is rich enough to charter and pay for his own plane) for private showings of cathedrals and palaces and dining at the best restaurants while at the same time stating the old way of doing things can not be sustained. Does anyone remember how the auto CEOs were critized for using their private jets to go to Washington to ask for a bailout? What happened to leading by example. What should we expect from a narcissist?

MM July 26th, 2009 | 8:38am

Where is all of this negativity coming from? I thought Charlottesville loved Obama. I sure see a lot of Obama bumper stickers everywhere I go!!????

Squeaky Fromme July 26th, 2009 | 10:32am

I wonder if the tour guide pointed out to the Obamas that Monticello was built by slaves? That slaves made every brick and nail and sawed every board and nailed every shingle, slaves cleaned and maintained the house though they could not live in it, slaves cooked the dinners and ate the scraps, and weeded the gardens and ate the weeds--and that Jefferson used devices like underground passageways and dumb waiters, to hide the shameful fact of slave labor. I wonder if the White House tour guides mentioned to the Obamas that the very house they now live in was built by slaves? Something to contemplate as white secret service agents drive them around in the armored SUV. Good thing too: hate radio is inflaming armed wingnuts about these uppity Obamas.

Sick Of The Local Rambos July 30th, 2009 | 10:37pm

obbammysmammy, you still want to debate race being involved in the Gates arrest? Before answering, study up on what a white Boston police officer, 36-year-old Justin Barrett, just called Gates in an e-mail. The exact term was "banana eating jungle monkey". He's been suspended and will be terminated. He's also been suspended from the National Guard where he holds the rank of Captain. White cops can claim they're not racist until they're blue in the face. But a few eventually screw up and expose themselves.

smarty pants July 24th, 2009 | 11:14am

Be careful TJ you may roll to the bottom of the hill

Sick Of The Local Rambos July 28th, 2009 | 11:51am

Mr/Mrs/Miss Spell Check..... it doesn't seem like proficient spelling, grammar and math are requirements to get a high school diploma in our local public schools now. America is fast becoming one of the dumbest countries in the entire world.